


For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky (Part 1)

by greenbloodedcomputer



Series: The Original Series: Spones [3]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Episode: s03e10 For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 07:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6043582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenbloodedcomputer/pseuds/greenbloodedcomputer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of 'For the World is Hollow', Leonard confronts Spock about his lack of care for almost losing his mate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky (Part 1)

Aboard the Enterprise, Leonard McCoy opened his eyes with some difficulty. The injection he’d just been given, according the First Officer Spock, would be the first of many to cure him of a previously incurable disease, xenopolycythemia. What he hadn’t mentioned is that the drug would make him drowsy, nauseous, grumpy, and leave a large, painful spot on his arm where the hypos had been administered. He groaned aloud and was met with the quiet chuckles of Jim Kirk, who was standing beside him. 

As Spock timed intervals of precisely three minutes, Nurse Chapel prepared the next hypo to be used. It was silent, like clockwork, for approximately fifteen minutes, before the head nurse spoke up in a pleased tone. 

“Excellent, Doctor,” she said. “The white corpuscle count is back to normal.”

“Oh…” McCoy groaned again, thanking God in his head that at least the treatments were over. 

With a snap of his tricorder, Spock spoke next in a voice that lacked anything more than professional care. “Your hemoglobin count is back to normal, Doctor,” he stated. “Which indicates that the flow of oxygen to each cell of your body is back up to its abundantly energetic level.” 

Leonard stared across the sick bay at his partner, but didn’t offer any warmth in his response either. “Thank you, _Mr. Spock_. For bringing back the knowledge of the Fabrini.” And nothing else. He did nothing else to help during their latest adventure and he wanted Spock to know he wasn’t happy about it. 

Sensing the awkward feeling in the room, the ever-positive Captain spoke up with a grin, alluding to the fact that they may be able to go and visit the Fabrini when they land in approximately one Earth year. With another charming chuckle, the captain took his leave of them and Chapel did as well -- she knew better than to stick around if Spock and Dr. McCoy were going to get into an argument. 

When they were finally alone, Bones refused to look at him. Spock said nothing and remained on the opposite side of sickbay where he fiddled absently with the tricorder. Secretly, they were both pleased -- Leonard was no longer facing certain death and they were back on the Enterprise where they belonged. But neither of them were in any mood to celebrate. They’d both been rather inconsiderate and downright petty with one another for the past 72 hours. 

Leonard sighed and spoke up first. “Well, I’m not dying anymore,” he said with a Southern twinge to his mumble. 

Spock hummed a response, as if he wasn’t really listening.

“Well...are you happy about that?”

The vulcan finally met his eyes and considered this question. “Am I ‘happy’ that you are not going to die? Yes. Am I ‘happy’ about the way you conducted yourself on the planet? I should say not.” 

Alright, so Leonard recapped the entire trip to Yonada briefly in his head. They went on a mission. Spock found out Leonard was going to die. Spock hadn’t cared that Leonard was doomed to a terrible, painful death. Leonard met a woman who could help them. Spock suggested he pretend to seduce said girl. Then the girl offered for Leonard to live out the rest of his days in a worry-free, loving environment. Spock didn’t care. So Leonard kissed the girl. Spock still didn’t care. So Leonard agreed to marry the girl. Spock _still_ didn’t care. So basically they had played a game of chicken that grew and grew until Leonard was living on another planet with a bunch of crazy strangers and married to a pretty lady. 

Spock didn’t hide his unhappiness with the way Leonard recalled the story. In fact, instead of gently nudging his husband mentally into the seeing his point of view, the vulcan actually opened his mouth to argue his case.

“I do care. About everything you did and continue to do.”

“Well, you have a stupid way of showing it.” 

“You know I do not plainly display my emotions.”

“I was dying. _Dying_ , Spock. I had a fucking terminal illness. I had less than a year to live. All you were concerned about was the damn mission.” 

“As were you.”

“I was trying to concentrate on saving other people instead of worrying about myself.”

Spock was amazingly open-minded. He realized that this was a good thing to invest energy in instead of becoming consumed with the inevitable. So he accepted this answer, but he still had other concerns. 

“You didn’t tell me you were sick.”

“I’d just found out.”

“You had time to tell the Captain.”

“I wanted to wait until it was the right time.”

“I am your husband. I should be the first to know.”

Spock didn’t often make demands or pull rank (or spousal rights of any kind). He realized that, though they were married, bonded, and shared a brain, Leonard was his own person and he didn’t have to run every decision by him first. But he was serious about this. He had wanted to know first. 

“I just...I didn’t want to tell you. I wasn’t ready.”

“You couldn’t hide it forever. Your telepathic walls are not strong enough to sever our bond. I would have known within a few days.” 

“I just needed time to think, damn it!”

Spock stopped speaking, as he always did, as soon as Leonard raised his voice. Aside from being his husband, Spock was his best friend and knew him better than anyone else. He most likely knew that, upon being diagnosed with xenopolycythemia, his usual depression, anxiety, panic, and other illnesses would have kick started, and Leonard’s natural reaction to all of those things is to close in on himself and reject all outside help. Mostly likely the only reason he’d told Jim is because he was required to. 

This reasoning did not stop Spock from being hurt by his actions. 

“So, in addition to keeping it a secret from me, you decide it would be wise to remain on Yonada and take the hand of another’s in marriage?”

Bones pushed himself up into a sitting position now, finding no fucks to give about his blinding nausea. “Look. At that point you knew I was dying and you didn’t care. You didn’t say a god damn thing about it. I was trying to get a reaction out of you!”

“That is quite a drastic step to take to try to make me jealous.”

“Well….well I didn’t know what else to do! I felt like I was just going to either….either stay on a planet with some pretty stranger who was flirting with me or go back to a ship with a husband who doesn’t want me and doesn’t care that I’m dying! What am I going to do? I’ll be lying on my deathbed and Jim tells me ‘oh, sorry, Spock can’t come visit because he’s on the bridge controlling some damn diplomatic mission, better luck with a spouse in the next life’.”

Spock’s expression didn’t change, but Leonard distinctly felt some hurt through their bond. Perhaps he’d hurt his feelings. He was too angry to care. 

Spock placed the tricorder on a nearby table and, without looking at the doctor, spoke quietly to the whole room. “Is that what you think I would do?” 

His voice had been so soft that Leonard immediately regretted his words. He opened his mouth to try and reconcile, but what was done was done and he couldn’t fix it. 

“Leonard, in the past you have had other medical problems. I have been with you every step of the way, even when we were not bonded. I have scooped you from the floor, wiped vomit from your chin, fed you, bathed you, and nursed you back to health. Why all of the sudden would things be any different?”

The doctor didn’t answer. 

“I did not question your diagnosis nor speak to you about it on the planet because I did not wish to add stress to your already overwhelming day. I could feel you were beyond uncomfortable. Also, I was unsure how to react. If you were told that I had only a year to live, would you know the appropriate response?” 

Again, Bones said nothing, but he hung his head in shame. 

“I’m sorry, Spock,” he muttered after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t know what I was doing down on that planet...I didn’t know how to react either I just...I was just afraid you’d reject me if you found out I was sick. I know words mean so little but...if it ever happens again I’ll go straight to you. We’ll figure it out together.” 

Spock approached him now and placed a gently hand on the back of Leonard’s head and the other on the human’s fragile chest and pushed him into a lying down position on the bio-bed. “All is forgiven _sa-telsu_.” The doctor’s heart fluttered at the foreign word that made no sense to his ears but somehow made sense to his heart. “Being told you are going to die can drive one to do amazing things. I am lucky to still have you.” 

Leonard grabbed Spock’s hand and held it tightly in his own. 

Damn hopeless romantic.

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 is all fluff. [Part 2 ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6043867)is be pwp. If you are interested in the smutty part of this fic, head on over to Part 2!
> 
> \- - -
> 
> This story can stand alone, but it makes vague references to my other work [_I Have Enough_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3559088/chapters/7838210). Check it out if you like tons of angst!


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